Topic of the Week: Ratlings

[General Thaddeus]

I'm not sure I can post this, but there hasn't been a new topic in around 2 weeks, so here goes:

Ratlings:

Do you take them in small 5-man (or "rat") squads?

Do you use them in big squads sized 8-11 strong like me?

Do you eschew ratlings for cooler-looking cadian snipers or do you ally a Vidicare instead?

Do you look at this thread and think: "What is he thinking?" "Who would even want sniper rifles now anyway?"

Comments, ideas, slaps in the back of the head for even considering an attempt at a Topic of the Week?

Just in case this doesn't take to the rest of LO, I'll at least state my opinion. I always took ratlings at 8-strong in 4th edition and they usually worked decently well. I don't use them much anymore though as the last few games I've done horribly with them.


As I do at the end of every post, CHEERS!!!!

P.S. I chose Ratlings because there really wasn't much left that hasn't already been done, so I just did Ratlings...

[RexTalon]

I thought we just talked about this?

Well, my thoughts are, "FILTHY STINKING ABHUMANS!!!" and "Kill em all, let the Emperor sort em out!"

[jh316]

Ratlings are the single best method for us to deal with monstrous creatures. What could take 10 lascannon shots to bring down can be killed in 2 turns of good ratling fire, or 1 turn of fire and some heavy weapon hits. And when there aren't any MCs they still do a fine job at either trying to go for rending shots on high toughness/armor models, or pinning low LD models.

[Wolf Guard]

I actually agree with rex. There are so many other things I would rather spend my points on than Ratlings.

[Dakka,Dakka,Dakka]

if they weren't abhuman, I might consider taking them........however, currently the model sucks, and their special abilities aren't that great either, my biggest problem is that snipers cannot take off the model you want them to!!!

look at real life snipers, if you have a squad with a sniper, he can take out that guy with the rocket launcher about to blow up your truck.........he doesn't have to take out some 9 other guys before he kills him!!!!

if snipers could pick their target, then I would take them!!

[RocketRollRebel]

Ratlings are arguably the best snipers in the game! I love the little guys but I think they like all snipers in 40k perform best in big units of 7+

[Pharaoh74]

Ratlings are arguably the best snipers in the game! I love the little guys but I think they like all snipers in 40k perform best in big units of 7+

I agree...I like using Ratlings and used to use a five man squad of them...but have found a squad of 10 really cause some damage...

..most of my opponents tend to try and take them out early which means there big guns arn't firing on someone else more important..which is fine by me!!

[xXClaret-PaulXx]

I'm not a fan to be honest. For a start I really don't like the models. I love Guard because of the human aspect, and they idea that they are similar to todays military but fighting in a future war. In this respect, the idea of abhumans and strange creatures just doesn't do it for me. If they were just snipers I would have no problem and may consider using them in for force, but for now at least I don't bother using them...

[CKO]

I like them, I take them to take out high toughness units such as carnifex, ctan, wraithlords, they can pin things, and they are great at taking out devestator units that has been split.

[RecklessFable]

I've yet to find the Elites slot for them since I prefer drop vets with meltas. Ah well.

That being said, a rats have a 1/3 chance of putting wounds on an enemy (regardless of toughness). and for 110 points, you can get 10. In a single shooting phase they will force ~3.33 armor saves on average.

For 110 points you can get a 3 lascannon team that puts 1.25 wounds on a target per shooting phase (generall instant death and always ignoring FNP) Not that you usually use lascannons for infantry, but they work well against the big baddies.

Of course, if those wounds are in cover, rats are probably better. In the open, lascannons are.

It takes a buttload of shots to kill a Carnifex with either option.